As shown in Finland, which has one of the lowest rates of infant mortality, expectant parents can choose to receive the box, which contains bodysuits, a sleeping bag, outdoor gear, bathing products for the baby, as well as nappies, bedding and a small mattress which becomes a crib when put into the box, or a small cash grant. In order to receive the box, parents must visit a doctor before their fourth month of pregnancy.

As shown by the Stop!t app, students can anonymously report bullying to school administrators by sending an online screenshot. A version of the app could also be used in workplaces, college campuses, and the military.

The Texas State Board of Education approves textbooks, curriculum standards, and supplemental materials for public schools and has approved inaccurate material such as downplaying slavery as the cause of the Civil War, misrepresenting climate change, and “crediting Moses with inspiring the American constitution." The books on the Texas list are likely to be mass-produced by a publisher and bought by other states. About 20 other states also “adopt textbooks in ways that allow the government to dictate their content.”

"Lucky iron fish" or fish-shaped cast iron ingots are placed in boiling water or soup to leach elemental iron into the water and food. "Its use results in the average villager obtaining about 75% of the daily recommended dietary iron."

"In a November 2014 survey of 100 U.S. airports, 62 reported that they were "breastfeeding-friendly," yet only eight of them had private lactation rooms that met the minimum standards. Furthermore, two of these eight airports' lactation rooms were placed outside terminal security checkpoints."

Computerized scheduling, which allows employers to best fit staffing to demand, can often cause difficulty in the lives of low-wage workers in being able to balance work and family and receiving enough hours of work. As shown by Walmart, Starbucks, the Gap as well as legislation in San Francisco, stable schedules and more hours could be offered to workers to prevent employee turnover and aid the lives of low-income workers.

I have 5 trash cans in my kitchen each a different size, serving different functions. It has helped me reuse recycle and minimize the amount of garbage my family expels. My idea is a trashcan that takes all food scraps and grinds them down to a juice. This juice can be used in our own gardens, can be collected by a company and sold for profit, or whatever its purposes. I urge businesses to do the same with all the food they throw away (required; instead of using it to feed the poor) Lets go world. Invent, build and share for free...make it happen. Open a door of blessings from God for not wasting his bounty.

"While Indigenous Peoples’ Day was first celebrated in 1992, to explicitly protest the quincentennial anniversary of Columbus’s discovery, it has failed to build steam across most of the U.S. California and South Dakota celebrate Native American Day, Tennessee celebrates American Indian Day, and a few other scattered cities have officially adopted Indigenous Peoples’ Day, but over 40 states still observe Columbus Day as an official state holiday."

"A recent study by Melissa Kearney, University of Maryland economics professor and director of the Brookings Institution’s Hamilton Project, showed a powerful connection linking 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom with a plunging birth rate for teenage women in the U.S."

"Four states—Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina and Washington—now allow credit unions to offer cash prizes as an incentive to encourage people to save more...By opening a 12-month share certificate with as little as $25—far less than the minimum for most bank certificates of deposit—participants in prize-linked savings programs earn an entry into that month’s drawing and become eligible for a yearly grand prize. For each $25 added to the account (up to 10 deposits per month), a participant earns another entry. Savers are allowed to withdraw money before the end of the 12 months, but to do so they typically have to pay a $25 fee."

Agreed. Also, since we pay them indirectly through taxes, we should also set the standard of their physical fitness. They are here to protect and serve, yet I see unfit, overweight policeman everyday that couldn't out run my 8 year old child. Thanks Obama.

As shown by the Sketchbook Project at the Brooklyn Art Library, "for $25, any doodler, student, parent, graphic designer, architect or would-be artist with an idea can fill a 32-page sketchbook and add it to the collection."

But then who would have work accepted and who wouldn't could work judged "bad" be eliminated? Would there be an age limit to prevent kindergaten art projects? A good idea, but it has questions and connotations linked to it.

"A policy of “print aid” would retain the inflation-targeting guidelines that made current quantitative easing schemes so credible. Second, because the money created would be spent overseas in poor countries on items such as vaccines, education, and infrastructure, the impact on prices in the country doing the printing would likely be minimal."

The device "harnesses ocean currents and wind patterns (rotating systems called "gyres") that circulate plastic naturally. (The) design, which is fixed to the seabed, has two 30-mile booms in a V-shape, which funnel debris into a central collecting column."

As shown by company Parker Drusseau, the "Commuter Suit" has extra flexibility, "buttons to secure a pants roll-up, breatheable mesh lining in the jacket, and reflective strips under the collar and cuffs that are revealed when you roll them up."

"Embrace is a sleeping bag-style baby-warmer that can be used when high-tech, hospital-based incubators are not available to mothers who either can’t afford to pay for a hospital stay or who can’t afford to remain away from home (and work) for long periods of time. In contrast, Embrace is portable, affordable and low-tech."

"In the midst of winter snowstorms, buried hydrants cause dangerous delays for fire fighters. But having City of Boston employees check and clear thousands of hydrants would be a timely, costly and burdensome process....Adopt-a-Hydrant allows individuals, small businesses and community organizations to volunteer in shoveling out specific hydrants."

Some argue that there is limited or no evidence that the death penalty deters crime, there can be wrongful execution of innocent people, and state the greater expense of costlier trials and prolonged appeal processes versus life imprisonment to taxpayers.

"The turntable rotates slices of wood as if they were LPs, while the camera scans the rings for their thickness, growth rate, texture, and overall color tone. A computer using some custom software maps that data to a musical scale, which is then played using piano notes."

Research has shown low-income students can be unaware they can attend competitive colleges and have a need for application guidance. Support could range from waiving application fees, providing information packets to high scoring students from the SAT, to offering a nonprofit (such as QuestBridge) to help with the application process.

As created by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the RHS-15 (a 15-question mental health screening tool) and Pathways to Wellness program could help determine and provide for the mental health needs of new refugees. Currently, there is limited assessment.

"The Simple Return would have the IRS take the information about income directly from the employers and banks and, if the person’s tax status were simple enough, send that taxpayer a return prefilled with the information....Anyone who preferred to fill out his own tax form, or to pay a tax preparer to do it, would just throw the Simple Return away and file his taxes the way he does now. For the millions of taxpayers who could use the Simple Return, however, filing a tax return would entail nothing more than checking the numbers, signing the return, and then either sending a check or getting a refund."

As designed by Volvo, this "rear-facing seat...inflates in 40 seconds using an integrated pump. It comes in at less than 11 pounds, about half the weight of a contemporary car seat. Deflated, it fits neatly into a backpack."

As shown by the Investor's Exchange (IEX), stock exchanges could be created to be protected from high-frequency trading (HFT). Some believe HFT contributes to volatility of markets and scrapes profits from investors.

The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 allows "certified employers to pay a subminimum wage to workers with a disability, based on their productivity when compared with that of nondisabled workers." Some argue that this has led to organizations taking advantage of disabled workers.

Solitary confinement may be more expensive to create, produce more violent and mentally ill inmates, and contribute to increased rates of recidivism. "At least 25,000 prisoners — and probably tens of thousands more, criminal justice experts say — are still in solitary confinement in the United States. Some remain there for weeks or months; others for years or even decades."

"The white-and-red lighting setup comprises a ring of LEDs that you install around the entire edge of each of your bike rims...The result is beautiful arcs of light that make you visible from all angles."

"Rather than the children having to adapt to the parents’ needs and living in two separate dwellings, they remain in the family home and the parents take turns moving in and out, like birds alighting and departing the 'nest.'" The aim is to create more stability in the children's lives.

As shown by the organization GiveDirectly, donations or aid could be given directly to the poor as cash stipends with conditional requirements or be unconditional. This method could result in positive outcomes, stimulate the economy, and be less expensive than other poverty interventions.

"If you have a New Jersey driver's license and you die in California, someone has to figure out that you're from New Jersey, coordinate with the local registry, and ensure that they have your real name at the ready." As states all have separate registries, a central cloud-based registry could make it easier for organ donations to happen. In addition, ORGANIZE offers a mobile app to make it easy to sign up as a donor.

As shown by Text4baby, parents and parents-to-be "receive three free text messages a week, timed to their due date or their baby's birth date, through pregnancy and up until the baby’s first birthday. The messages address topics such as labor signs and symptoms, prenatal care, urgent alerts, developmental milestones, immunizations, nutrition, birth defect prevention, safe sleep, safety, and more."

"It’s almost impossible to imagine that the billions already spent on Buffalo’s urban-renewal projects would satisfy any reasonable cost-benefit analysis for helping to reverse the city’s decline. The desire of people and firms to move is just too strong...people-based policies may actually motivate states and cities to spend more wisely, in order to retain their newly educated and mobile residents."

The "Code" outlines specific practices to ensure good corporate governance such as:
"- the CEO and Chairman of companies should be separated
- boards should have at least three non-executive directors, two of whom should have no financial or personal ties to executives
- each board should have an audit committee composed of non-executive directors
- each board should have a remuneration committee composed without executive directors, but possibly the chairman
- directors should have long term performance related pay, which should be disclosed in the company accounts and contracts renewable each year
- the Chairman of the board should be seen as the "leader" of the non-executive directors
- institutional investors should consider voting the shares they held at meetings, though rejected compulsory voting
- all kinds of remuneration including pensions should be disclosed."

The Poler Napsack has "has zippers at the shoulders, so you can stick your arms out, and a cinch at the bottom so that you can open it up and stick your legs out. Hike it up to your waist, cinch it, and wear it like a puffy coat around the campfire, and then crawl right back into your tent without ever having to leave the warmth of your bag."

CUNY’s Accelerated Study in Associate Programs "addresses money issues by covering tuition that’s not paid for by federal and state grants, as well as paying for public transit and giving students free use of textbooks, saving them upward of $900 a year. To help balance the demands of college with work, life and family obligations, students take their classes in a consolidated course schedule (morning, afternoon or evening)." In addition, "biweekly seminars and one-on-one advising" is also used to increase graduation rates.

Presently, "all business is conducted midweek. Many members fly in on Tuesday morning and fly home Thursday evening, leaving few possibilities for meeting members of the other party off of the battlefield and out of sight of the press. Mann and Ornstein propose changing the calendar in both the House and the Senate so that Congress is in session five days a week for three weeks each month. Such an arrangement would be both more efficient (less time wasted in transit) and more humane (more opportunities for relationships to form)."

"Polling place electronic voting or Internet voting examples have taken place in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Estonia, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Romania, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Venezuela, and the Philippines."

One system proposed could be to give "a rebate of $50 (from federal taxes) in the form of a 'democracy voucher.' That voucher could then be given to any candidate for Congress who agreed to one simple condition: the only money that candidate would accept to finance his or her campaign would be either “democracy vouchers” or contributions from citizens capped at $100. And if the voter didn’t use the voucher? The money would pass to his or her party, or, if an independent, back to this public funding system."

Private prisons may be more costly, violent, and less accountable than public prisons. Lobbying efforts from private prison companies may also influence and create tougher, longer sentences for prison inmates.

In the public budgeting process, "agencies that demonstrate a cost savings are not rewarded, they are “punished” with a reduction to their funding allocation for the next year." Pilot programs that reward agencies for cost savings (through technology for instance) could encourage agencies to innovate and operate more efficiently.

"Only about 30% of patients with diseases treatable with hematopoietic cell transplantation (such as leukemia, lymphoma, anemia,certain immune and metabolic disorders) can find a suitably HLA matched donor among their family members...Because the odds that two random individuals are HLA matched exceeds one in 20,000, a registry's success depends on a large number of volunteer donors."

As shown by Better Life, cleaning products could be free from environmentally harmful and toxic chemicals such as dyes, alcohols, synthetic fragrances, suflates/sulfanates, ethoxylates, and petrochemical solvents.

As shown by the GED Bridge to Health and Business program in New York, GED programs could be more beneficial for participants by providing training and resources to prepare adults for college or careers.

"The Open Syllabus Project (OSP) is an open platform whose mission is to assemble a large-scale online collection of syllabi and to build foundational tools for analyzing it, in order to advance scholarly inquiry, promote institutional cooperation, and foster pedagogical diversity. We believe that this critical mass of syllabi will stimulate new research tools, drive policy change, foster best practices, provide new metrics, and aid in the search, discovery, and the development of new course materials."

"Community-supported agriculture farms share three common characteristics: an emphasis on community and/or local produce, share or subscriptions sold prior to season, and weekly deliveries to members/subscribers."

As shown by Streetline, sensors could be installed in parking spaces and citizens could use an app to determine where there are open spaces or be able to reserve spaces in parking garages. Cities could also better manage on-street parking and set up dynamic pricing for the spots.

A biennial budget, or budget lasting for two years, could give the government time to examine and refine programs and allow more long-range planning. However, this could make it harder to produce estimates or revise the budget.

As shown by CommunityPlanIT, community planning could involve "30 days of online engagement that culminates in a face-to-face meeting with planning officials and other participants" to encourage citizen participation.

"REDF provides equity-like grants and business assistance to a portfolio of nonprofits in California to start and expand social enterprises—nonprofit-operated businesses selling goods and services demanded by the marketplace while intentionally employing young people and adults who would otherwise face bleak prospects of ever getting a job."

A basic income is a policy that provides a sum of money to each citizen unconditionally as a form of social security. This could result in more social welfare than other public programs through decreased administrative costs and by stimulating the economy. However, it could discourage working and shrink the labor supply.

As shown by Lumosity, brain-training games could help improve cognition in such processes as memory, attention, learning, problem solving, and decision making. However, there is limited scientific evidence to prove these games have effects.

Contacting consumers could be done through email, mail, or texts. Currently, the FDA lists recalls on its website, but the information is difficult to find and it is up to consumers to research the information.

"A massive vacuum tube — mounted either above ground or even under water — could be combined with a magnetic levitation system used on conventional bullet trains" to hypothetically transport people at very high speeds. The "Hyperloop" could also be energy-efficient by using solar energy.

Earth sheltering, or "using earth against building walls", can maintain steady indoor air temperatures, provide soundproofing, efficiently use land, require less outdoor maintenance, and provide protection against extreme weather and other natural disasters more than standard homes and buildings.

"The majority of governments today still use cash accounting, which is based on cash payments and receipts being recorded as they occur. This form of accounting fails to capture information on public sector assets and liabilities and therefore presents a short-term view of public finance." Accrual accounting could lead to better information for decision-making, greater transparency, and increased accountability.

NGT is a technique in which group members develop solutions privately and then share one by one with the group. Group members then privately rank solutions by order of preference. This could promote divergent thinking, and prevent production blocking and downward norm setting as in standard brainstorming sessions.

As proposed in Mexico City, "couples planning marriage would decide on the length of their commitment, with the minimum contract being for two years. If they decide not to renew the contract, they would be able to opt out without a legal hassle."

"Respiratory, allergic, or immune effects in infants or children are associated with man-made VOCs and other indoor or outdoor air pollutants." A biofilter using plant/fungus combinations located in the HVAC system could reduce VOCs.

Known as smart elevators, "instead of pushing a button to go up or down, passengers first select the floor they want. Then they are directed to the elevator that will take them to their destination with the fewest number of stops." These elevators can also slow down if a disabled person is boarding and prevent too many people from boarding.

As shown in France, preschool "is treated as part of (the) country's education system. The teachers in it have extensive training in early childhood education. It's voluntary. You don't have to enroll your child in a preschool, but almost everybody does and there are frequent inspections. They have good resources and ... it's available to all at an affordable rate."

"A windowfarm is a vertical, indoor garden that allows for year-round growing in almost any window. It lets plants use natural window light, the climate control of your living space, and organic “liquid soil” in a hydroponic system."

For better yield, make it an aquaponics system! Simply adding a small fish bowl or fish tank at the bottom, and pumping the fish-water up and into the plants, provides a much higher crop yield. Additional bonus: watching fish swim reduces stress.

As shown by Bitcoin, currency could be anonymous, "immune to transaction fees and national borders", and have a predictable and controlled supply controlled by an algorithm. However, its privacy could lead to criminal transactions and there are concerns with its security and inability to revoke transactions.

Food aid could be more efficient and beneficial if being "untied" to being bought and sent from the U.S. In addition, monetization, or the practice of selling U.S. food in developing countries, could end as it can displace imports and local markets.

As shown by the Peer to Patent program, a wiki could be made for the public to submit prior art and commentary relevant to patent applications that patent examiners could consult. "The hoped-for effect is that patent examination will be more efficient and thorough" leading to higher quality patents.

As "the costs and benefits of pharmaceutical patents vary for different diseases", a "rational patent system could differentiate the extent of protection given to products in accordance with their extremely different global markets and existing research incentives."

The designation of NRSRO (Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization) from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission may be producing an oligopoly, leading to errors in credit ratings in the financial system.

Professors and researchers could be required to disclose:
- funding sources for publications and working papers
- relevant and material financial relationships
- potential conflicts when making speeches and writing op-eds
- all of the organizations for which they have done paid work

In order for FEMA to better prepare for catastrophic events, the U.S. federal government could better measure the scale and severity of disasters and set higher thresholds for involvement in states. This could encourage states to make better decisions and preparations for disasters.

Polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, has high concentrations of phthalates and organotins which have been linked to "developmental damage and harm to the liver and the central nervous, respiratory and reproductive systems."

Lawmakers could be less accountable to special interests, "whom would be unable to verify the effectiveness of campaign contributions." Fewer provisions could then be added onto to legislation that was not in the public interest.

As show by Allourideas.org, a wiki survey has "the scale, speed, and quantification of a survey" while also allowing "new information to 'bubble up' from respondents as happens in interviews, participant observation, and focus groups."

You would have to genetically make/enhance a creature to be immune to the poison and spines. That would make it an even worse predator. Eliminate foreign species with something other than other foreign species. "There once was a lady who swallowed a fly..."

The "Right-to-Rent" concept allows homeowners to pay fair market rents (determined by an independent appraiser) after a home is foreclosed on. This could allow homeowners to stay in their homes and prevent depreciation in value of other homes in the neighborhood.

In addition, private companies (like the American Homeowner Preservation) could "find a buyer for a house facing foreclosure, convince the bank to do a short sale, and work out an agreement with the buyer to allow the former owner to stay in the house as a renter."

Mobile smog checks use infrared light to measure and analyze the emissions of cars as they drive by on the highway. They could be more efficient and less expensive than on-site smog checks to catch gross polluters.

As shown by POPVOX and OpenCongress, citizens could track bills, the voting of their representatives, and demonstrate their support for or against legislation. In addition, POPVOX guarantees to deliver messages to Congressional offices.

As shown by JobOn, "job seekers can record and upload a free video profile in which they answer standard interview questions and email it directly to hiring managers." This could save time and effort for both applicants and companies.

"Parental leave is important not only for the mother but for the father as well. Paid leave gives parents the time to provide great prenatal and postnatal care, lowers accident rates, and allows a greater sense of bonding." In addition, companies could save money on training and recruitment and receive gains in worker productivity due to higher job satisfaction.

As concentration of wealth from natural resources can create corruption in governments, oil-to-cash programs could be set up in which the wealth is transferred in dividends to the poor or all citizens as an effective social welfare program.

"Job seekers often don’t know what the most useful skill sets are for positions they are interested in or, when they have skills, don’t know which skills to learn next. LearnUp is a website that allows employers to post skill sets necessary to fill those positions they have open. Those skill sets are then made available to job seekers as part of an online learning program. Employers are also given access to a dashboard that allows them to peruse learners’ individual profiles and what they are working on, giving them the opportunity to take the initiative in their own search for employees."

As shown by AirBnB, Crashpadder, Roomorama, and Craigslist, homes or apartments could be rented out to travelers. However, rules and regulations may either prohibit this or be lacking to protect renters and travelers.

"FiveStars can analyze consumer behavior in ways that help local businesses create better online links — through email, text messaging and social media – to their consumers — boosting their engagement and revenues."

"Keeping cattle more densely packed on smaller plots of land and moving them frequently keeps them from exhausting the supply of living plants, turns scattered droppings into a full blanket of high-quality fertilizer, and keeps the repeated trod of untold tons from packing down the dirt." This "holistic grazing" could conserve grassland ecosystems.

"The lamps are composed of a tube containing microalgae, as well as a battery during the day, the batteries are charged via photosynthesis of the algae, using both solar power and CO2 (both of which are usable by the plantlife)...each lamp absorbs a reported 150 to 200 times from CO2 than a tree."

"If a !Kung infant cries, 88 percent of crying bouts receive a response within 3 seconds, and almost all bouts receive a response within 10 seconds. Mothers respond to !Kung infants by nursing them, but many responses are by nonmothers (especially other adult women), who react by touching or holding the infant. The result is that !Kung infants spend at most one minute out of each hour crying, mainly in crying bouts of less than 10 seconds—half that measured for Dutch infants. Many other studies show that 1-year-old infants whose crying is ignored end up spending more time crying than do infants whose crying receives a response."

"Positive Deviance is based on the observation that in every community there are certain individuals or groups whose uncommon behaviors and strategies enable them to find better solutions to problems than their peers, while having access to the same resources and facing similar or worse challenges. The Positive Deviance approach enables the community to discover these successful behaviors and strategies and develop a plan of action to promote their adoption by all concerned."

"Positive deviance has helped to reduce rates of female genital mutilation in Egypt, improved prisons in Denmark, helped the mentally ill in Pittsburgh strengthen social connections and cut infections at Veterans Affairs hospitals across the United States."

A solar garden is a grouping of solar panels connected to local electric utility and shared by community subscribers whom receive billing credits and tax benefits. This could be more convenient than installing solar panels on one's home or if one does not own property.

"A village getting satellite or cable TV goes along with higher girls' school enrollment rates and increased female autonomy. Within two years of getting cable or satellite, between 45 and 70 percent of the difference between urban and rural areas on these measures disappears."

A natural burial is one in which the "body may be prepared without chemical preservatives or disinfectants such as embalming fluid, which might destroy the microbial decomposers that break the body down, buried in a biodegradable coffin, casket, or shroud", and uses a shallow grave to "allow microbial activity similar to that found in composting." This could alleviate waste, chemical pollution, and health hazards to embalmers and funeral home workers.

If clinicians could follow clinical practice guidelines ("recommendations intended to optimize patient care that are informed by a systematic review of evidence and an assessment of the benefits and harms of alternative care options") and be given "safe harbor" protection from medical practice liability, it could decrease the amount of expensive tests and procedures ordered for patients that may be unnecessary.

"Discomfort is caused by blockage and/or swelling of a passengers Eustachian tube(s). The air pressure changes induced by the aircraft's descent are too rapid for the blocked Eustachian tubes to adjust properly. However, EarPlanes, provide an equal but opposite impedance on the exterior of the middle ear, allowing relief."

- have indicator lights to show whether a bullet is present in the chamber
- be impossible to fire if dropped
- have non-erasable serial numbers
- have microstamping ballistic technology (that marks each bullet with a unique serial code)
- include trigger locks and other child-proofing devices as standard equipment
- technology that would render guns inoperable by anyone except their approved purchaser

"If you sit at a desk for more than four hours a day, you increase your risk of death from any cause by nearly 50 percent and boost your risk of heart problems by 125 percent." Workplaces could offer employees standing desks.

In addition to sales by federally licensed firearms dealers, background checks could be applied to nonlicensed “private collectors” as well as through friends ("the owner could be required to conduct the transaction via a local licensed dealer, who, for a modest fee, would run the computerized check").

"Magazines are the spring-loaded containers of bullets that snap into the bottom of a rifle or the grip of a pistol. If a shooter couldn’t obtain large mags, he’d have to reload more often, possibly limiting bloodshed."

Prior Army Infantry. With literally an hour of practice anyone can change out a magazine in under a second. This will do nothing and is just going to harm the gun businesses, which is a MAJOR part of the American economy; we cannot handle a blow like that.

As shown by Recyclebank, people could be rewarded with deals and discounts by taking green actions such as "recycling garbage, using energy more efficiently at home, reducing water usage, buying greener products, and even by walking to work instead of driving." In addition to motivating behavior, awareness of issues and ways to live more sustainably are also spread.

- use the consignment model to sell and distribute products
- create manufacturing within developing countries for the item it is distributing
or
- give vouchers or direct cash for people to purchase the item from local shops

As shown by Community Enterprise Solutions, people could be trained to sell helpful products (water purifiers, reading glasses, solar lamps) to their neighbors and networks and keep a commission, after repaying the supplier.

MST focuses on youth's homes, families, schools, teachers, neighborhood, and friends to address all parts of a child's environment. MST has been shown to reduce out-of-home placements, drop out rates, substance abuse, and recidivism.

As shown by Youth Villages, it could be more beneficial (in terms of better educational, emotional, and vocational outcomes) and cost effective to help youths return to their original families by providing extensive in-home support services rather than using foster care.

As a former recreational soccer coach, I happen to think that there is already too much institutionalization and organization of Kid's free time. It is essential for kids to participate in un-organized sport and play also.

Street to Home outreach volunteer outreach workers use a "vulnerability index" to rank people on the streets by risk of death. Using that index, they prioritize whom to target and keep talking with these people until they agree to enter permanent supportive housing.

As shown by the Roots of Empathy program, a mother and her baby could visit classrooms with a trained instructor to teach empathy to schoolkids. Research demonstrates that this program has increased empathy and parenting skills among both students and teachers.

Year Up could be model by:
- offering a six month training program followed by a six month internship and charging the companies to receive partipants as interns
- involving employers in the design of the program to ensure training is matched to market demand
- forming partnerships with community colleges to offer course credit for Year Up classes
- paying participants $200 a week
- helping participants find corporate mentors
- practicing important soft skills
- using a points system that is based upon performance in the program

Nurses are paid salaries allowing for more holistic healthcare than fee-for-service setups for doctors. In addition, nurse practitioner clinics could prevent patients from using paramedic, police, and emergency services. Currently, "nurse-managed clinics have to overcome regulatory and financial obstacles that traditional clinics don’t face" in many states.

Rainwater harvesting could provide water during droughts or restrictions, is relative easy and not expensive to install and run, could reduce peak storm water runoff, and use less energy than other water systems.

- "In Japan, during the third trimester pregnant women may go to their parental home and stay until 4 to 6 weeks of postpartum recovery, called satogaeri bunben."

- "In Punjab, Jholabhari is practiced, in which a woman in her seventh or eighth month of gestation moves into her mother's home in preparation for the upcoming birth."

- "In addition to household help and significant social support, in many cultures there are ceremonies that welcome the new mother and her newborn into society and recognize and reward the enhanced status of the mother."

"There is an increasing body of evidence that orphanages, especially large orphanages, are the worst possible care option for children. In large institutions all children, but particularly babies may not receive enough eye contact, physical contact, and stimulation to promote proper physical, social or cognitive development."

B Lab is a nonprofit that certifies a business as a B Corporations when it has met environmental and social criteria. B Lab advocates that these companies qualify for tax breaks and government-contract bidding advantages.

People trained in CPR could sign up to receive text messages when someone nearby is suffering cardiac arrest. They then could use the app to map the location of the victim and any nearby automated external defibrillators to respond before an ambulance arrives.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) can take up to two weeks to collect and release survey data about where and when the flu is spreading around the country. As shown by Google's Flu Trends, internet search tools could use real-time data to identify regions around the world experiencing a high number of flu-related searches and produce results that correlate closely with CDC data.

Succinic acid is a key component of biodegradable plastics used to make laundry detergent bottles, food additives, and car parts. It is currently made from petrochemicals in a process with a large carbon footprint.

3 strategies could improve access to childcare in low income communities:

1. More centralized enrollment points could be developed at nonprofits where families are already seeking services
2. A universal application could be developed for all childhood development services in an area to make it easier to apply and learn about all the programs and services a family could be eligible for
3. Eligibility requirements could be aligned across providers to have simple, clear eligibility forms, and documentation requirements

Major league sport teams in the U.S. could have to compete for a place in the top national league in order to prevent lackadaisical owners from not investing in talent and the teams’ overall competitiveness. There could be multiple league levels as in European soccer.

"Economists Gary Becker and Julio Jorge Elias argue that monetary incentives would increase the supply of organs for transplant sufficiently to eliminate the very large waiting lists for organs, and the suffering and deaths of many of those waiting, without increasing the total cost of transplant surgery by more than 12 percent." Iran allows the sale of kidneys, and has no waiting lists.

People's who do not want to donate could make it known by directive, through a family objection, or in a state computer registry. In addition, presumed consent could change people's perceptions towards donating organs.

Hyginex is an integrated soap-dispensing-and-wristband-alert system that alerts doctors to wash their hands and tells them if they have not washed theirs hand well enough. In addition, the wristband keeps a detailed log of hand-cleaning compliance for managers to review.

Currently, Castlight works with self-insured employers to create an online and mobile space where each employee can shop for health care based on price, quality and how much of their ­deductible has already been spent. Companies using Castlight have saved millions of dollars a year in health expenditures.

As in the Netherlands and similar to how states' workers compensation benefits are funded, the U.S. could impose some form of experience rating on firms and raise the SSDI payroll tax of firms whose workers enroll in the system at above average rates and lowering the SSDI payroll taxes on firms whose workers enroll at below average rates. Employers could then be more incentivized to make the investments in accommodation and rehabilitation that could prolong the employment tenure of a worker with a disability.

This could increase the willingness of employers to provide additional accommodation and rehabilitation by linking the cost of disability payment to firms. It could also create growth in the private insurance market and greater case management of workers following the onset of a work limiting impairment and hence greater return to work. However, it could result in substantial added costs to the system.

A two-tiered disability system, which has been used successfully in Europe, could begin with a temporary program requiring beneficiaries to participate in rehabilitation, receive regular assessments, and prepare for reemployment. Those who demonstrate that they cannot work could become eligible for permanent disability benefits.

• The inclusion of key partners including (i) community colleges and other education or training providers, (ii) industries or large employers with strong labor demand and good jobs, (iii) local workforce development agencies, and (iv) intermediary organizations with strong links to employers or industries
• The targeting of disadvantaged workers
• The responsiveness to labor market and employer needs
• The funding of key direct supports and services to students, workers, and employers
• The extent to which other sources of public or private funding are leveraged

Cities could replace large, failing urban high schools with small schools. These smaller schools could allow for stronger, more personal relationships between students and adults, increase student engagement, and better position teachers to identify and respond to students’ academic and social needs.

Career Academies restructure large high schools into small learning communities around career themes, follow rigorous curricula that include academic and career-oriented courses, and offer opportunities to participate in work-based learning activities. For disconnected youth, 18-24 years old not engaged in school or work, Career Academies, could be used and evaluated for effectiveness.

As shown by Georgia Works, Platform to Employment, Minnesota Emergency Employment Development Program, employers or community colleges could be subsidized to train workers and workers could gain job experience.

Workforce development programs could be evaluated on the quality of jobs obtained, retention, earning gains, strength and number of ties with employers and community colleges, resource coordination, and training/education attainment for jobs in local industries that have demand along with the common measures of job placement and average earning at entry.

Low- to moderate-income families with young adults could receive assistance with the FAFSA form at tax preparation offices. A representative could automatically pre-populate the FAFSA and then conduct a short interview to complete the form, tell families how much aid they could qualify for, provide tuition information for local colleges, and offer to submit the form to the Department of Education. This program has been shown to increase college attendance.

Alternatively, other loan options such as small consumer loans, paycheck cash advances from employers, and credit union loans with lower interest and more stringent terms could be made more widely available and marketed.

Public benefit rules for asset types counting towards the asset limits could also be reviewed and changed to not discourage saving. Congress could give states the option to reform asset limits for SSI.

401(ks), 457s, and 403(b)s could mirror Individual Retirement Accounts and allow people to withdraw money without penalty for college education and up to $20,000 for first-time home ownership. This could clarify rules for savers, remove management burdens for employers, bring federal policy into alignment, and encourage savings for these uses.

The Saver’s Credit could provide a 50% match to households earning less than $65,000 who save up to $1,000 in a 529 College Savings Account, Coverdell, qualified Savings Bond and IDAs in addition to retirement accounts. In addition, the credit could be refundable, automatically deposited into a designated retirement savings account using IRS Form 8888, and contribution amounts could be indexed to inflation.

Child Trust Funds or Children Savings Accounts could be required for every newborn to have to ensure every child has savings by the age of 18, help children get into the habit of saving while also teaching them the benefits of saving, and help them understand personal finance. Matching deposits could be given to low-income children.

A Saver's Bonus, or a 50% match up to $500 if tax filers save for over a year, could introduce tax filers to savings accounts, encourage more savings among low-income families, and reduce the use of payday loans, credits cards, etc.

IDAs or other matched savings accounts could be expanded to be offered more widely and redesigned to encompass more savings goals for long-term productive assets, short-terms goals (such as automobiles and washing machines for example), and for precautionary, unanticipated purposes.

Homeless individuals could receive permanent housing along with support programs rather than temporary shelters. Permanent supportive housing is more cost effective than the homeless using services such as emergency rooms, addiction treatment, psychiatric care, and jails.

Portugal, 12 Years after Decriminalizing Drugs - "The data show, among other things, that the number of adults in Portugal who have at some point taken illegal drugs is rising. At the same time, though, the number of teenagers who have at some point taken illegal drugs is falling. The number of drug addicts who have undergone rehab has also increased dramatically, while the number of drug addicts who have become infected with HIV has fallen significantly." - http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/evaluating-drug-decriminalization-in-portugal-12-years-later-a-891060.html

From switching running from an initial heel strike to a more springy step on the middle, or on the ball of the foot as well as creating shorter strikes and higher step rates, injuries could be avoided and better develop foot muscles.

Low-cost random controlled trials could make use of administrative data that the government already collects (test scores, graduation rates, emergency room visits, arrests, unemployment spur innovation. records, etc.) and test hundreds of program models. Rigorous evaluations could determine if programs should continue to be funded.

Teachers could be trained by an apprenticeship program that evaluates them while they are teaching rather than having to obtain a license, masters, or certification in order to teach in public schools. Some research shows that these degrees do not affect student success.

This strategy targets only the worst criminals for intensive investigation and criminal prosecution, builds community trust in the police, and involves the community in offering alternatives to the worst offenders.

The Nurse-Family Partnership has been proven to result in less child abuse and neglect, reduction in mother's subsequent births during their late teens and early twenties, reduction in prenatal smoking, and improvement in cognitive and/or academic outcomes for children. In the program, nurses provide home visits to pregnant women with no previous live births once per month during their pregnancy and the first two years of their children’s lives to teach (i) positive health related behaviors, (ii) competent care of children, and (iii) maternal personal development (family planning, educational achievement, and participation in the workforce).

The nine-month intervention is delivered to each participant by a single caseworker trained in CTI and supervised by a mental health professional. The caseworker gets to know client, client's caregivers, and community service providers through meetings, develops long term goals, and mediates conflicts.

Earned income could be taxed at a flat rate of 10%, while property-type income could be taxed at 30%. There could be big gains in economic efficiency from making the tax treatment of income from corporate, non-corporate and household property the same.

States could have to be accountable and receive credit for outcome based performance by measures such as job readiness through having access to resources (housing, childcare, transportation, counseling), job retention, and job advancement rather than process-based work participation rates.

Committee vacancies could be filled by lottery in order to appoint committee members who were not beholden to party leaders for their selection and, therefore, would not be fearful to cross party lines in the future.

Employees could be rewarded by taking healthy actions such as taking steps to lose weight, steps to quit smoking, offering free or cheap gym memberships, and reimbursement checks to encourage cheaper choices like generics over name-brand drugs.

Fee-for-service can encourage doctors to do more tests, surgeries, and prescribe more medicine which may not be in the patient's best long term interest. Bundled payments or annual per patient fees means doctors could be paid on a capitation system linked to outcomes, encouraging doctors to focus on activities that deliver health benefits at a lower cost to the system.

The single payer system, medical care funded from a single insurance pool run by the state, could save money by offering universal preventative care and eliminate insurance company administrative costs. However, there could be issues with access to care and government bureaucracy.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that adding a publicly run insurance plan would reduce the deficit by an additional $88 billion over ten years relative to the law as passed, by taking in insurance premiums and paying out less to private insurers through exchange subsidies.

The FairTax could replace all federal income taxes (including the alternative minimum tax, corporate income taxes, and capital gains taxes), payroll taxes(including Social Security and Medicare taxes), gift taxes, and estate taxes with a single national consumption tax on retail sales. The proposal also provides monthly payment to all family households of lawful U.S. residents as an advance rebate, or "prebate", of tax on purchases up to the poverty level. Supporters contend that the plan would effectively tax wealth, increase purchasing power, decrease tax burdens by broadening the tax base, ease tax compliance, and increase economic growth.

Committee staff members, who schedule the hearings, invite witnesses to testify, prepare background materials for committee members, and negotiate with staff members from other committees in the House and Senate, could be selected by a nonpartisan House or Senate administrator and be obligated to serve all members equally without regard to party agenda. Currently, they are selected by the committee chair and senior members of the minority.

In states, an “open primary” system in which every candidate for a particular office, regardless of party, appears on the same ballot, could be created to allow voters a wider range of candidates and reduce candidate partisanship. The top two voted, even if they belonged to the same party, could continue on to the general election.

Public housing tenants who were not disabled, over the retirement age, or facing special circumstances could be required to work or participate in a work training or community service program. As it has been done in Atlanta public housing as well as the Jobs-Plus program, coordinators could be assigned to support residents in accessing resources and counseling.

As in Germany, public schools could offer a “dual system” where students could split their time between classroom coursework and apprenticeships in companies. The coursework could be structured around the job track students choose and employers could help design the curriculum and cover the program’s cost.

Earning supplements (a monetary payment on a monthly basis) provided to low-wage workers could encourage work, help sustain employment, and increase incomes as well as increase academic outcomes for pre-school children. If the supplements could be combined with employment services and be provided to long-term welfare recipients and unemployed, they could have larger effects.

Employers could enroll workers in an opt-out direct deposit retirement or savings account that places a small percentage of each paycheck into the account as shown in the AutoSave and Automatic IRA programs. Employers could receive temporary tax credits to offset the administrative cost. This could encourage banking access, savings, and financial stability.

Social impact bonds could prevent taxpayers from paying money into programs that are not successful. Nonprofit groups, foundations, and private sector could fund initiatives and be reimbursed by the government later only if the program achieves agreed-upon benchmarks. If not, taxpayers could owe nothing.

Those who use illegal drugs could be sent to more widely available treatment specific centers rather than prison in order to reduce prison populations, reduce death by overdose, curb the spread of infections, and rehabilitate addicts.

Community-based alternatives to prison include, but are not limited to, electronic monitoring, work release, day-reporting centers, and half-way houses. Community-based alternatives cost thousands of dollars less than prison, and help improve public safety by ensuring that people remain in the community with their families and support systems, while also maintaining employment and receiving services.

The H.R. 2065: Second Chance for Ex-Offenders Act of 2011 tried to expunge the record of any felon who a) hadn’t been convicted of a violent crime, b) served a full sentence and completed all court-ordered requirements, c) had been free of alcohol or drug dependency for at least a year, d) received a high school diploma or its equivalent, and e) completed a year of community service. However it did not pass.

Ex-prisoners could have more or equal access to housing, education, the ballot, and public benefits in order to decrease recidivism rates. For example, prisoners and ex-offenders could be eligible for Pell Grants.

Surveys could be more widely given to students (or alumni) from kindergarten to high school to give teachers feedback on their performance as well as aid in evaluating teachers, much as professors are rated by students in colleges and universities. In addition, focus groups with randomly selected students could aid in evaluations as well.

Community-based currency could boost the value of resources, such as local labor, that are undervalued in the dollar economy, stimulate local investment, and support independent and locally owned businesses.

As introduced in the Preservation, Enhancement, and Transition of Rental Assistance Act (PETRA) or Rental Housing Revitalization Act (H.R. 6468) to the House of Representatives in 2010 (which died in committee), all public housing residents could receive portable rental vouchers and people who were not low-income could live in public housing developments at market rents in order to preserve current housing, allow the private market to invest in housing, simplify rental assistance programs, and create mixed income communities.

Workers could use mandated individual saving accounts after being laid off instead of unemployment insurance. These could reduce the moral hazard costs of discouraging workers to find and take jobs and be cheaper than the current UI program.

Anyone who speaks of the "moral hazard costs" and thinks being on UI, EI, or welfare discourages people from finding jobs is "armchair quarterbacking"... they have abviously never experienced what it's like to live on such reduced levels of income. There is nothing "comfortable" about an EI wage. Being on EI does not "discourage" one from finding work. It just gives you a slight cushion to find a job that is appropriate to your age, experience, and education levels, instead of forcing you to take the first job that comes along.

Job sharing or short-time working could allow companies to make temporary, across the board reductions in hours worked by and wages paid to the same number of employees in order to reduce unemployment.

Pharmacies in metropolitan Seattle have experimented with a model of “safe use”—the Direct Access study—of making contraceptives available over the counter, in which community pharmacists were permitted to dispense hormonal contraceptives after a woman completed a self-administered screening tool. In addition, a progestin-only minipill could be offered that has low prevalence of contraindications.